Intriguing mystery. I hope you don’t mind a nobody such as myself taking a crack at it.
Dr. Snell had been observing the strange phenomenon of the mysterious letters formed by light for months. The letters were caused by a glass panel that could only be reliably placed every day by Dr. Snell himself. Thus, it was all a charade set up by Dr. Snell himself. The words spoke of vengeance upon somebody, and General Hartmeyer testified that he spoke of a plan finally coming to fruition and having the bearing of a man finally about to get his revenge. Additionally, his own doctor testified him to be of sound mind. It would be reasonable to conclude Dr. Snell was planning bloody vengeance upon someone. As the charade took the form of Egyptian superstition, it suggests the intended target was professor Wren, who was the only suspect with a connection to the victim related to Egypt and superstition, but that is beside the point.
If Dr. Snell was indeed planning murder, by the arrow inscribed with something related to wrath of Ra, then all restrictions to access to the roof are out of the window for anyone who might have been Snell’s accomplice in this murder, or for Snell’s intended target. Therefore, I propose the following:
Dr. Snell was planning to murder someone, likely professor Wren. The method for this murder would’ve been to set up the arrow pointing upwards under the window in the roof, and dropping his victim onto the arrow. However, Snell himself became the victim, as his intended victim realized what he is up to and defended himself by pushing Snell down through the window. Snell fell onto the arrow, dying instantly. Snell was either pushed through the glass pane, breaking it in the process, or the glass pane was dropped after Snell fell. Afterwards, the killer left the scene through the door, which was unlocked.
Alternatively, Snell had set up an accomplice ready to fire down from the roof with a bow, or drop the arrow should the height be enough for the arrow to gain enough velocity to pierce skin that way. However, something went wrong and Snell ended up under the arrow instead of the intended victim. Perhaps the accomplice betrayed Snell for whatever reason, perhaps Snell struggled with the intended victim and ended up unconscious where the arrow would fall.
I hope I didn’t overlook any reds already stated. It is late night, but the mystery was too interesting to leave untouched.